o neill



Patented July 6, 19,26.

'UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PETER J'. ONEILL, OF NEVI YORK, N. Y.

NOTE SHEET FOR PLAYER PIANOS.

Application filed January 15, 1923, Serial No. 612,755. Renewed February 6, 1926.

rlhis invention has relation to musical instruments and has particular reference to means combined with the note sheet of a player piano for Yiiacilitating the pla-ying` ot a stringed instrument as an accompaniment therefor.

The principal object ot the present in- 'yention resides in the provision of means 1nscribed on the note sheet for indicating the proper positioning of the fingers on the neel-1 olf a stringed instrument such as a nkulele, guitar, banjo or the like, which means coincides With the chords as they are played by the note sheet.

As a. further object the intention contemplates a linger positioning chart for stringed instruments which is associated with a perforated note sheet for player pianos whereby persons unskilled .in the playing of such instruments and with the reading oi notes may readily learn to play chords for accompanying a player piano.

As a further object the invention conteur plates a simple and inexpensive method oli self-instruction ior facilitating the playing of stringed instruments in connection with player pianos.

With the above recited and other objects in vieni', the invention resides in the novel construction, combination and arrangements ot parts set iliortli in the following specitication, illustrated in the accompanying drawing and particularly pointed out in the appended claim.

ln the drawing Figure l is a tace View of a portion et the note sheet `tor a player piano equipped with a tinger positioning chart constructed in accordance with the invention.

Fig. il is a similar View oi? a slightly modilied torni oli the same.

Fig. is a iace View of a ukulele.

Referring to the drawing by Characters oit reference, 10 designates a note sheet having the usual perforations l1 therein adapted to cooperate with the tracker bar of a player piano for operating the same. Adjacent one side edge of the note sheet and coinciding with the chords which are played thereby, ringer positioning charts 'l2 are inscribed which consist oit longitudinal l'nes i3 representing the strings and transverse lines ll. representing the frets. For the purpose ot an'iiliarizing the player of the ukulele or other similar instrument, the portions of tz. `strings which lie between adjacent trets are numbered o1' otherwise provided with indicia ,l-S on the chart. In the first einbodinient of the invention as illustrated in Fig. l, the lingers are designed to be represented by indicia 17 such as numerals which are placed the Various points on the chart on which the fingers are supposed to be positioned on the neck i8 of the instrument, preferably by nmnerals l, 2, 3 and corresponding to the irst, second, third and iourth linger.

As a modiiied acflaptation of this idea the representation ot a hand 19 as illustrated in Fig. 2 with the fingers in proper position on the chart, may be employed.

ln 1 e and operation, the player piano is operated in the ordinary manner, While thc play ot the stringed instrument notes the finger positioning charts lf) and correspondingly positions on the stringed instrument to play the chords in unison with the playing of the chords on the player piano. By this means and under this method, persons having an extremely limited knowledge oi music may rapidly learn to play a nkulelc, banjo, guitar or other similar stringed instrninents as an accompaniment for player pianos.

l claim t A note sheet for player pianos having periloratious therein and marks inscribed on said sheet for indicating the positioning oi' the fingers as to the strings and frets of a stringed instrument (o 'facilitate the playing ot said instrument when accompanying the piano.

PETER J. ONEILL. 

